Bad Memories, Good Friends
by InsideOutlaw
Summary: Sequel to "Never Try To Beat A Man At His Own Game".  I got to thinking about that payroll job...


**BAD MEMORIES, GOOD FRIENDS**

It had been a quiet couple of weeks for the Devil's Hole gang. After a run in with an ugly-tempered rancher who accused him of stealing ancient coins; Heyes, along with Kid and the gang, had spent some time in Glenwood Springs resting up. Heyes had found the late nights spent in the poker parlors and then the long days soaking in the hot springs had left him feeling almost human again. He was ready to focus on the gang's next job, and had finally perfected his plan for the army payroll train robbery.

The gang had grumbled heartily when he'd told them they would be moving out today at dawn. The boys had grown a bit soft what with the drinking, whoring, and carrying on. Even the Kid had bellyached at the thought of leaving town. Heyes was having none of it. It was his job to keep everyone's eye on the next prize, and he planned on doing it. This one was important to him. His recent experience had left him shaken. He hated not having the upper hand and his brief time spent as a prisoner of the rancher still chafed. He needed to prove for his own sake that he was still the masterful leader of the Devil's Hole gang.

Kid was coming up the street towards the livery with his saddlebag over one shoulder and his bedroll under the other. Looking over his saddle as he tacked up his mare, Heyes could also see Wheat and Kyle exiting the Elk's Head Saloon and heading his way. They looked a bit worse for the wear, but at least they were upright. That just left Lobo, Hank, and the Preacher. This being Sunday morning he could guess where the Preacher was, but Lobo and Hank were going to be in a world of hurt if they didn't show soon.

Nodding to his partner, Heyes tossed his saddlebag up and tied it off.

"Late night, Kid?" he asked.

"More like an early mornin', Heyes," said Kid with a satisfied smile as he went to fetch his horse. Heyes smelled a whiff of cheap perfume as his partner passed him by and entered the stable. Returning a few minutes later, Kid found Heyes mounted and waiting while the rest of the gang retrieved their horses. Wheat and Kyle were checking cinches and preparing to mount their animals. Lobo and Hank had arrived, but they were in poor condition stumbling awkwardly around each other while giggling inanely. Looking up at their leader, they were instantly sobered by the glare sent their way. Preacher, too, had shown up; clean and tidy from a sunrise service at the nearby church.

"Mornin', boys, Preacher," said the Kid.

"uhhh," said the boys.

"Morning, Kid," said the Preacher. "Fine day isn't it, Heyes?"

"Sure is, Preacher," said Heyes with a nod. "All right, the rest of you misbegotten reprobates can mount up. We're moving out." With that, he reined his sorrel mare around and loped quietly out of town leaving the ragtag members of the Devil's Hole gang to straggle behind him.

Heading south out of Glenwood, the gang rode up the Roaring Fork Valley towards the West Elk Mountains. Heyes was glad to be giving Aspen a wide berth, due to gold and silver being discovered there recently causing an alarming rise in population thanks to the prospectors from nearby Leadville flooding in. Heyes and the Kid had spent enough time in the lawless town of Leadville to be easily recognizable to many former residents. Thinking of times past, Heyes fondly reminisced for a while over high stakes poker games and lowborn saloon gals.

The sun soon rose in the sky and lent a soft glow to the landscape. It was summer at this altitude and the elk and deer herds were starting to settle into the valley to fatten up on the grazing in anticipation of the first snows.

Heyes idly looked over his small entourage. Kid was alert, scanning the valley and the hills beyond for any sign of trouble. The Utes were slowly being pressured by the settlers moving into this part of Colorado and they weren't shy about pushing back. Preacher was peaceful—he always got that way after he'd squared himself with God a bit. Wheat and Kyle were in deep conversation bickering animatedly over something. Lobo and Hank still looked poorly. Lobo was squinting into the sun, the pain in his head clearly written across the craggy channels of his face. Hank was dozing in the saddle, head nodding gently with the sway of his gelding's hips.

It always amazed Heyes, when he pondered it, that this odd, mismatched group of misfits formed the most successful outlaw gang the West had ever seen. Individually, they probably couldn't steal pencils from a blind man; but, as a whole, there wasn't anything they couldn't do. Heyes never said it, but he was proud of them. Sure, they let him down from time to time, but never when there was a job on the line. They'd just come through for him when he thought he'd taken one risk too many and found himself alone, sick, and lost with an angry rancher running him to ground. They'd found him, saved him, and helped him extract his revenge. He owed them this robbery and he meant for it to be profitable for all.

The gang camped early that afternoon alongside the Crystal River near the mouth of the canyon. Heyes and Kid spent some time successfully fishing and, with game plentiful, the boys had fun provisioning for the following weeks. Carcasses were quickly dressed and heavily salted to preserve them in the summer's heat. As evening fell and everyone finished a fine meal of smoked trout and roasted venison, the boys gathered around the warmth of the campfire, and Kid pulled a couple of bottles of good whiskey from his saddlebags.

"Well, boys, what do you say to a toast to the next job?" asked Kid as he circled the fire pouring for each of his men.

"Sounds good," said Wheat with a smile, "Hey, don't be stingy now," holding his tin cup out for a bit more.

"Enjoy it now, Wheat, I want all of you with a clear head when we arrive in Ouray," warned Heyes.

"So, Heyes, when are you going to tell us what you've got planned?" asked Lobo.

"Not yet, I'm still working out the details. Now, pass one of those bottles over here, Kid. How was the hunting?" said Heyes, changing the subject.

The Kid handed him the bottle with a raised eyebrow. He knew what Heyes was doing, but he wondered why. Kid could tell that Heyes was done planning. All the signs said so. Heyes took a bottle and avoided his partner's eyes. He peppered his men with questions about their afternoon's expedition. Tales of an epic day's hunting flew across the fire as it slowly burned to embers. The whiskey flowed liberally due to Heyes's heavy hand.

It wasn't long before the whiskey showed its effects and Kyle broke into to an enthusiastic rendition of "Little Brown Jug."

_Me and my wife live all alone_

_In a little log hut we call our own;_

_She loves gin and I love rum,_

_And don't we have a lot of fun!_

"Cmon, Boys, sing it," he cried, standing up and waving his arms. His friends responded with equally good cheer:

_Ha, ha, ha, you and me,_

_Little brown jug, don't I love thee!_

_Ha, ha, ha, you and me,_

_Little brown jug, don't I love thee!_

_When I go toiling on the farm_

_I take the little jug under my arm;_

_Place it under a shady tree,_

_Little brown jug, 'tis you and me._

'_Tis you that makes me friends and foes,_

'_Tis you that makes me wear old clothes;_

_But, seeing you're so near my nose,_

_Tip her up and down she goes._

Relaxed, fed and happy, the Devil's Hole gang enjoyed themselves tremendously until they either passed out where they sat or drifted off to their bedrolls late in the night. Heyes had deliberately turned in pretty early; and the Kid knew it.

With the hunting completed, the small group continued on the next day winding slowly up to the high meadows of the pass. They were very careful to stay clear of McClure's stage stop. The steep climb on the Glenwood side of the pass was grueling, but brief. The top of the pass opened widely into a cool meadow laced with beaver ponds and aspen groves. You could see a hundred miles; clear to the Uncompahgre Mesa and the San Juan Mountains behind it. Heyes loved this country. One day he'd like to make his home here, but he was realistic enough to know that he might wear out his welcome here long before that day arrived.

The white man had made small inroads into this land, but for the most part it was still Ute territory with few people willing to trespass through the tribe's holdings. The infamy of the Devil's Hole gang meant that Heyes needed to be constantly vigilant when in populated areas. Out here he could let that vigilance slip and he could allow himself to relax. It was an irony, really, that the places that most white folk feared held a special attraction for him. Raising his face to the sun, he closed his eyes and savored its warmth for a long moment.

Normally, he would be talkative on a long ride; chatting happily about his plans, going over the many details with the boys, but not lately. Since the severe beatings he took only a few weeks ago, he'd been unusually reflective and withdrawn. He hadn't wanted to talk about it, preferring instead to spend long nights at the poker tables amongst strangers than in the company of his friends. Of course his partner, Kid Curry, had noticed and had attempted to draw him out, but failed. Heyes knew his men were watching, waiting for him to come around, but he wasn't ready to let go of it yet.

Fact was-the Kid was worried about his cousin. It wasn't like Heyes to isolate himself. Kid knew that physically the scars were healing, but he wondered what was on his partner's mind. There was one thing Heyes hated and that was to be a victim. He had taken a heavy revenge on the town of Delta; robbing the bank twice in less than two weeks and, due to some creative thinking on Heyes's part, they had all gotten away scot free. Kid would've just as soon passed on this next job and headed out of Colorado for Wyoming. He knew, though, that Heyes was paying extra attention to the planning of this payroll heist. He hadn't shared his plan yet, and the Kid was growing nervous about that. The way he saw it the quieter Heyes was now, the more audacious his plan would be. Giving his friend a considering look, Kid took the lead for a while allowing Heyes to drop back with his thoughts.

The hours passed and slowly stretched into another day until finally the small band of men came to a lush, open valley studded with wild thorn apple trees. The river they had been following was stretched out and broadened before them. It was an incredibly beautiful scene.

Heyes gave the signal, and the men gathered in and dismounted to make camp for the night. There were recent signs of a Ute hunting party in the valley, so they took extra precautions that night by posting guards.

The next morning, the boys took time to delight in plucking fresh fruit from the laden trees surrounding their camp and greedily stuffed their pockets and saddlebags. For the next few days, they would travel early at dawn and late at dusk when it was more difficult to be seen from a distance. As a matter of precaution, Heyes would lead the gang in a wide arc bypassing Delta completely. It would take an extra day or so to go the long way round, but it wouldn't do to be recognized at this point, after having made quite an impression on the locals recently. He was aiming to be in Ouray by the 6th which would leave them a few days to get up into the high country and get everyone into position.

Nearing Ouray, Heyes began to liven up a bit and entertained the boys with filthy, bawdy stories. He started taking pleasure in telling and re-telling the same story with different embellishments and twisted endings. The boys listened avidly and the Kid was pleased to see his partner happy.

Passing the cutoff for Dallas Divide, the Kid had a few bad moments remembering Heyes's desperate plunge off the cliffs now towering over them. It was a memory he would be glad to forget.

On the outskirts of Ouray, the gang split into three groups. Kid and Heyes entered town on their own and signed into the Ouray Hotel as Mr. Markley and Mr. Pipher. Wheat, Preacher, and Kyle entered an hour later and rented rooms for the night at a local boarding house. Lobo and Hank were last to arrive, but showed little judgment in their choice of accommodations at one of the local saloons. The outlaws would avoid any recognition of their other gang members until all had safely departed the next day. Heyes didn't want to raise any alarm bells with the local law by a show of force. The boys had been given strict orders to hold the partying to a minimum and be ready to move out at dawn.

Kid unlocked the door to their room and Heyes followed him in. Flinging his saddlebags onto the chair, Heyes flopped down on the bed to the right of the window. Kid set his hat down on the bed to the left and peeked out the curtained window. Looking back at his partner lying still with his eyes closed, Kid asked, "When are you goin' to let me in on your plan, Heyes?"

"Hmmm?" was the answer.

"You heard me, Heyes. You've been avoidin' talkin' to me this whole ride and I figure it's 'cause you know I won't like what you're planning," said Kid.

Squinting open one eye and looking up at his partner, Heyes replied, "Aren't you the one always complaining about my yakking? Just relax, will you? I just haven't felt much like talking."

"That ain't it. You can't help yourself when you get to plannin' a job. The words just leak out of you like water from a rusty bucket. Most times, you babble on so much the boys and I get to thinkin' our ears are gonna start bleedin'; but not this ride," said Kid, sitting down on the bed and facing his reclining friend. "You've got somethin' dangerous planned, don't you?" he asked gently while carefully watching Heyes.

Heyes sprang up with an angry glower and said, "I ain't listening to you harp on about this all night, Kid. I'm going out!" as he grabbed his hat and started for the door.

Kid was too fast for him and had a hold of his arm before he took his second step. "No. You ain't, Heyes. You're staying right here and tellin' me what you've been plannin'," said Kid with genuine menace. He watched Heyes closely through narrowed eyes. Most people thought Heyes had the perfect poker face, but Kid could read the thoughts going through his cousin's head. Heyes was surprised; then, he was thinking hard trying to come up with a ploy to put Kid off. Well, it wasn't going to work this time. Kid wanted answers and he had been more than patient waiting for his partner to come round and finally open up about what was going on in that sneaky brain of his.

Wrenching his arm from the Kid's hand, Heyes growled, "Or what? You gonna shoot me? Or maybe just flatten me a bit?"

"Whatever it takes, Heyes, whatever it takes," said Kid glaring back at him.

Heyes saw the stubborn look on his friend's face and knew Kid wasn't giving in. With a sigh, he sat down on the bed and started, "Okay. Kid, don't say anything, just hear me out. And remember what you always say, 'don't ask the men to do anything you wouldn't do yourself'…."

That really worried the Kid.

Heyes was right, Kid didn't like it. It was complicated, crazy and dangerous. In short, just the kind of plan he'd expected. He also knew he couldn't stop him. Heyes had talked for hours. Once he began, it was like a dam had broken and the words flooded out of him. He had started with his plan, gone over all the details, moved onto talking through Kid's objections to the plan, and then he grew pensive. Kid sat patiently until, finally, Heyes opened up about what was really bothering him and the words came tumbling out.

"It was Gray, Kid. You know, I've been beaten before-it wasn't that….. It was who, not what. I didn't realize it at the time, but it's been eating at me ever since. I felt scared, Kid….. Like I haven't felt in years; not since, well, you know," he said shakily. "The minute I saw Gray, I was scared. He looked like the raiders that day—cruel beyond reason. I just didn't realize why until later, when we were in Glenwood. I felt…." Heyes looked down at the floor. "I wouldn't let him see it, but it was there all the same; deep down. He put me on the ground and I stayed there!" said Heyes. Kid could see that his friend was really upset. Heyes was looking everywhere but at him. Heyes never mentioned that day they lost their folks; for him to do it now, well, it was obvious just how upset he felt. Kid couldn't believe it.

"Heyes," he began softly, "you're the bravest man I know. Sometimes, you terrify me with the risks you take." Kid placed his hand on Heyes's shoulder, caught his eyes, and continued, "I know you better than you do, Heyes. You ain't scared of nothin'. You just know the difference between knowin' when to lay low and when to come out swingin'. You knew Gray had the upper hand, so you laid low. Just like we did that day the raiders came. If we hadn't then, we'd be dead. This was the same. Sure you felt it in your gut, but you know like I do, that's your body reactin', not your head.

"Kid, I felt it! I know what it was," snapped Heyes.

"No, you don't, Heyes! You're too damn arrogant to recognize true fear. I can. I feel it every time I face a man down—I can smell it on the man I'm facin'. I feel it every time some angry card player wants to kill the only kin I have left. But, I know there's somethin' you're forgettin', Heyes, and it's that the fear is what keeps you alive. I hold onto that fear."

Heyes stared at him sadly.

"Heyes, think! You survived the raiders; you helped me to survive. When we were starvin' you took whatever chances necessary to see us fed. Some days you'd give me all the food you'd manage to steal. I knew what you were doin'; I just couldn't stop myself takin' it, 'cause _**I**_ wasn't that brave," said Kid with a small, tight smile. He could see Heyes was listening up. He saw it in his eyes. Heyes was losing that hopeless look. Gripping his partner's shoulder tightly, "Heyes, you're a leader—a leader of some of the roughest, toughest men around. If you had any fear in you, they'd know it." He paused for a second and drew a deep breath. "Heyes, do you see me as a follower? 'Cause I ain't. I'm a leader, too, you know I am; but I _**choose**_ to follow you. Now let it go," he finished quietly.

Nodding, Heyes rose, crossed to the dresser and placed both hands on it. Looking into the mirror, he stared for a moment and then he nodded again. Heyes reached for the bottle of whiskey setting on the dresser and poured two generous glassfuls. Crossing back, he gave a glass to the Kid. Looking affectionately down at his one true friend, Heyes smiled slowly, clinked glasses, and said, "To the job, Kid."

Grinning back, the Kid said, "To the job, Heyes."

The next morning came earlier for some than it did the others. The gang left town much as it had arrived and headed towards Silverton. The sky was swollen with gray clouds.

The train was late departing Silverton. A column of army escorts had arrived at the last minute and were crowding the platform trying to load onto the specially-added passenger car that was followed by a caboose at the rear. A heavy, iron lockbox appeared and was carried by six men and placed into a boxcar just ahead of the special passenger car. All six heavily armed soldiers remained in the reinforced boxcar. The steel door was slid shut and a large padlock was placed on the hasp.

The waiting passengers had been forced off the sheltered train platform and into a light drizzle of rain to make room for the army contingent. There was much grumbling and huffing at the inconvenience. An elderly woman with a large satchel in one hand and several packages in the other was standing in the rain with a dismayed expression. The portly fellow who was being most vocal in his objections rushed forward to complain to the passing express man and knocked into the gray-haired lady. Steadying her briefly, he hurried onto his intended target.

"Oh my," said the woman, as her packages went tumbling into the mud. She bent over stiffly to retrieve her goods and a dark-haired man hurried to her side.

"Here, ma'am, let me help you with those," he offered gently.

"Thank you, young man," said the woman, "it's very kind of you to come to my rescue."

"Don't think anything of it, ma'am," replied the polite gentleman.

"Mrs. Garten, and you are?" she queried looking up into a handsome face and beautiful brown eyes framed by spectacles.

"Milton, ma'am; Milton A. Langsford, of the Philadelphia Langsfords. Pleased to be at your service," lied Heyes smoothly.

"Well, Mr. Langsford, it is my pleasure. The West is lucky to have men like you," Mrs. Garten stated approvingly.

"Yes, ma'am," said Heyes, giving her a broad, dimpled smile that left her wishing she was 40 years younger.

"If you only knew…," he thought.

With the niceties over, he helped his new found friend onto the train and saw her settled in her seat. Politely excusing himself, he continued down the row to the last aisle seat in the rear of the car. Heyes sat down and pulled out a book from the bag he had carried on. Soon it appeared that he was engrossed in his reading.

Heyes hadn't meant to draw attention to himself, quite the opposite; he had acted without thinking at all. He had to smile at the thought of his mother and her insistence on proper manners. They could be the death of him yet.

Kid was silently cursing his partner as he led the gang through the mud and the cold rain. The gang had left Heyes behind in a plush hotel in Silverton and had headed out a day early to be in place for the arrival of the payroll train. The site had been chosen weeks ago and was perfect for Heyes's plan. Kid knew it was a risky one, but Heyes had gone over the details so many times that Kid knew everyone's role by heart. He had instructed the boys carefully as they rode to their destination. They were now midway between Molas Pass and Coal Bank Pass in an area marked by steep climbs and snaking switchbacks following the course of Lime Creek.

Preacher had split off from them yesterday for a special task Heyes had assigned him. Kid, Wheat, and Kyle continued on as Lobo and Hank broke off to hide in a flat open field ringed by tall pines. Lobo and Hank concealed themselves well, and were hidden until they stood to acknowledge their friends' departure. Waving casually back, the remaining three members of the Devil's Hole gang began a short climb to the next mountain meadow. Cresting the top of the hill, the gang reined in for a moment to rest their horses.

In front of him, the Kid saw the gooseneck in the river that Heyes had selected. It was crossed by bridges on either side of the huge bend. Lime Creek followed the right hand side of the canyon with the tracks on the left. At the wide bend in the river, the tracks crossed the first bridge and bisected the throat of land that jutted out nearly to the left side of the canyon. The tracks crossed the creek at the second bridge and again continued on to the left of the creek and disappeared in the distance.

Checking his pocket watch, Heyes rose and discreetly exited the rail car. Standing on the couplers, he looked to see if he was being watched and then, satisfied he was not, he pulled off his glasses allowing them to drop to the tracks rushing past beneath him where they instantly shattered. Reaching to the next car, he grabbed hold of the ladder and began climbing to the top. This was the risky part, but Heyes had done this many times before and was confident. He took a moment to get his balance and then moved quietly and quickly across the roof towards the next car. At the edge, he paused and then leapt out to grab the top rung on the next ladder. Moving in this fashion, he made his way to the rear of the train. The wind pulled at his hair and clothes and the sway of the train made him feel like a drunken sailor on shore leave.

The Kid watched the train approach through the binoculars he carried. He could barely make out the figure of his partner moving steadily across the roof of the train. "C'mon, Heyes, we ain't got much time here," he said under his breath. Impatient, he stood and turned to yell to Kyle and Wheat. "Get ready, boys, the train'll be here in a minute." Wheat was hiding in a swale next to the first bridge with his gun drawn; intently watching the train.

Turning back to the train, he saw Heyes wobble and then slip between the fortified boxcar and the last passenger car. For a moment his heart jumped, but he soon saw daylight as the rear passenger car and caboose were set free from the pull of the engine. The two cars slowed until, eventually, they started rolling backwards down the slight hill. Unaware of the missing cars, the train continued on across the first bridge. With a nod from Kid, Wheat lit the fuse to the bundle of dynamite tucked under the bridge supports. His job done, Wheat returned to his horse and mounted up to follow Kid as he trailed after the train.

The conductor had heard the explosion and pulled the whistle but didn't slow the train. He was sure they were being attacked and darned if he would let some dang outlaws rob his train. He yelled to the stoker to put more wood in the firebox and he asked the engine for more speed. Looking back, he sure enough saw the three riders trailing his train. They weren't going to catch him, he thought, as he released more steam and the train picked up speed.

Heyes had worked his way back up and over the steel-banded box car. Reaching the other side, he dropped down to the couplers and pulled the pin. The boxcar, too, began slowing to a stop. Heyes crawled back up to the roof just as the door opened and one of the armed guards poked his head out.

"What the hell is goin' on here?" asked the guard to no one in particular as he saw the engine and other cars pulling away. Assessing the situation immediately, he withdrew into the car and Heyes could hear the sound of a bolt being thrown into place. Now comes the really tricky part thought Heyes grimly as he waved to his men.

The train was almost across the second bridge and the conductor was unaware that the increase in speed was due less to the efficiency of his stoker than to the lack of weight taxing his engine. Kyle was watching patiently from his hiding place below the bank by the entrance to the second bridge. As the last of the train rolled off the far side of the bridge, Kyle lit his fuse that led to a bundle of dynamite tucked under the tracks. The explosion was deafening and the debris flew in all directions. Kyle's face split with a grin and, giggling delightedly, he hurried back towards the now stationary box car stranded on the spit of land.

The Kid reined up out of rifle range of the boxcar and waved back to Heyes who watched from his vantage point on the roof. Heyes turned and signaled the Preacher who was waiting in the forest at his assigned position. Preacher rode towards the train using the trees for cover and came in at an oblique angle to the windows which were now full of rifle barrels. Reining up, he leapt off his horse and grabbed the heavily wrapped box tied to the horn of his saddle. Holding the box out and away from his body, he crabbed walk carefully towards the boxcar and proceeded to climb the ladder to his leader. Heyes reached down and took the box as Preacher handed it up. Walking midway across the car quietly so as not to be heard below, Heyes knelt by a vent cover, unwrapped the heavy layer of quilting surrounding the box, and slowly pried open the hatch with a knife. He carefully lifted the lid with the opening facing away from him and, with one smooth move, he dropped the contents through the opening, and slammed the vent closed.

It only took a moment before screams were heard from below. "Agh, Skunk!", "Open the damn doors", "let me outta here". Seconds later, the doors at either end of the boxcar opened and six smelly armed guards poured out gasping for breath.

"Hold it right there, boys," came the stern call from Wheat. "Drop yer weapons. This here's a holdup," said Kyle. "Git down on the ground, boys." Their eyes watering and their noses running, the guards quickly did as they were told under the watchful eye of Kid Curry.

Suddenly, the sound of distant gunfire filled the air. Kid smiled and said, "I reckon Lobo and Hank are keeping the rest of the army at bay."

Laughing, Heyes descended to the ground, reached into his boot and pulled out a lock pick. He quickly opened the lock on the sliding door. With a flourish he pulled the door open and stepped back as a wall of skunk odor hit him hard. The indignant critter exited quickly and dashed off into the woods.

Heyes waited a few minutes and then swung himself into the car and, kneeling next to it, proceeded to pick open the lock box. "Ah ha," he cried. "Looks like $40,000 in nice, neat little bundles all fit to travel."

Kid tossed an empty saddlebag up to his cousin. "Time to go, Heyes," he said. Unholstering his gun, Kid fired three shots in the air. Preacher appeared from the pines mounted and leading four horses. Keeping the guards under cover, the outlaws mounted up and galloped off across the neck of land and melted into the forest.

Down valley, Lobo and Hank had started to run low on ammunition when they heard the three shots. Grinning at each other, they fired off a few more well-placed bullets; then crept into the woods and back to their horses. It was several long minutes before the door to the special passenger car opened and a head tentatively peeked around the corner. By that time, there was nothing to see.

The gang had taken the long way home, but had traveled at speed covering the 500 some miles to Devil's Hole in a little under a week; thanks to being able to frequently change out horses. They had initially taken a route through Lake City, the only town in all of Hinsdale County and, better yet, almost a day's ride from anywhere. Upon arriving; Heyes had bought all five horses available at the local livery. It was worth the extra money. The well-paid livery man was told that they were members of a posse on the trail of the notorious Markley-Pipher gang and wanted to have remounts along for when their own mounts tired. Transaction completed, the gang had left town leading their new mounts. It wasn't more than a day before the real posse came through after them. Their pursuers had been darn angry to learn there were no fresh horses available having ridden hard from Durango.

Learning the gang's name from the stableman, the posse notified the local Lake City Sheriff, who immediately wired the Denver & Rio Grande Railway. The next morning a $5,000 reward was offered for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators of the brazen army payroll robbery, the Markley-Pipher gang.

Yes, all in all, it had been a profitable trip for everyone but the railroads and the banks.

**Notes:** _I took some liberties with the use of the Silverton-Durango rail line. The Denver & Rio Grande Railway line wasn't established in Durango until August 5, 1881, and didn't reach Silverton until July of 1882. It has been in continuous operation to this day._

_Also completed in 1882, by Russian immigrant Otto Mears, was a toll road; The Million Dollar Highway, linking Ouray to Silverton. Rumor has it that the name came from an early traveler who said, "I wouldn't go that way again if you paid me a million dollar," because of the steepness and sheer drop-offs of the road. The favored explanation is that the road was built using gravel discarded by nearby gold and silver mines and it was later discovered the road bed was actually rich in ore and worth an estimated "million dollars."_

_I can say from first-hand experience driving this road in all kinds of weather; the first explanation **ought** to be true!_


End file.
